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We’re busy behind the scenes preparing for the Business Excellence Awards 2026 and we can’t wait to reveal what’s in store. With exciting new categories, fresh opportunities to celebrate success, and another fantastic showcase of West Lothian’s outstanding business community, this is set to be our biggest awards programme yet. Nominations will be opening soon. Keep an eye out for your chance to enter, nominate, and celebrate the achievements of local businesses, teams, and i

Hazel Brady, who was currently the Vice Principal of Learning and Attainment, took on the role as Interim Principal from December 2025 and has now been appointed as Principal. Hazel has held numerous roles since joining the college as a business lecturer in 2006. She moved from Faculty Director for Business, Creative and Enterprise to Vice Principal of Learning and Attainment in June 2024. Prior to her time at the college, she held roles at Scottish Television and BBC Scotla

In an increasingly uncertain world, business resilience has never been more important. Following a decade of geopolitical shocks, rising cyber threats, and increasing pressure on global supply chains, the British Chambers of Commerce is calling on the Government to make economic security and resilience a national priority. For businesses, the challenges are very real. Cyber-attacks continue to rise, with the cost to the UK economy estimated at £14.7 billion. At the same time,

🎉 Welcome Our New Premier Partner – Livingston Designer Outlet! 🎉 We are delighted to welcome Livingston Designer Outlet as the Chamber's newest Premier Partner. As one of the region's leading retail and leisure destinations, Livingston Designer Outlet plays a key role in attracting visitors, supporting employment, and contributing to the local economy. Their commitment to delivering exceptional experiences and investing in the community aligns strongly with the Chamber's

St Kentigern’s Academy from Blackburn has been crowned the winner of this year’s Mitsubishi Electric ‘Pump It Up!’ Challenge. Now in its 10th year, the competition involved over 800 pupils from eight participating West Lothian secondary schools, with third year pupils tasked with coming up with an innovative use for a heat pump, an understanding of sustainable energy and working effectively as a team. The winners presented a passionate and detailed presentation of their idea,

Engineering is fundamentally about solving the world’s most complex challenges. But to solve diverse problems, we need diverse minds. Dangerous Studio's are proud to share our latest collaboration with CeeD (Centre for Engineering, Education and Development), a project dedicated to championing the vital role of Women in Engineering. While the video features insights from 8 women engineers, it represents a much larger narrative: the indispensable value women bring to the entir

The Business Growth Service is the Government’s new national service that was launched as part of the Small Business Plan to make it easier and quicker for businesses across the UK to get the help, support and advice they need to start, grow and succeed. The Business Voices Panel has been established to gather insights from SMEs to help us create a service that is tailored to real business needs. Participants may be invited to take part in surveys and provide feedback, learn

Following Scotland’s election, it is vital that the priorities and pressures facing businesses are clearly understood by the new Scottish Government and Parliament. Each quarter, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce collects real‑time insight from firms across every sector and region through our Quarterly Economic Indicator, Scotland’s longest‑running business survey. Your response helps us: provide policymakers with an accurate picture of current business conditions highligh

Livingston Football Club are delighted to announce that John Heaney (Electrical) Limited will once again continue as our men’s first-team short sponsor for the 2026/27 season. A long-time supporter of the club, John Heaney Electrical have advertised via our pitch side boards and media room interview backdrop for a number of years before taking on the men’s first team short sponsorship for the 2023/24 season, seeing the JHE logo taking pride of place on the right leg of our m

A West Lothian engineer has spoken of his pride at receiving a letter from his local MP praising him for his charity support. Charlie Smillie, who works with Livingston-based John Heaney Electrical (JHE), won £750 last year in staff bonuses and donated the entire amount to Cancer Research UK at Christmas. It was his charity of choice after wife Sheila was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 while training to be a nurse at the University of the West of Scotland in Blantyre. T

Chamber member Kristian Melson, founder of operations consultancy Opsessed, recently sat down with James Fleming on the Success or Excuses Podcast (Ep. 56: Making Himself Redundant to Build Better Businesses).Kristian discusses his journey from operational roles at Ladbrokes and Betfair to running his own consultancy, and why so many growing companies undervalue operations. The conversation covers leadership and empowerment, the role of systems and automation in scaling, how

David G. Sibbald MBE has stepped down from his role as Acting Chairman, which he has held for the past 5 years, and Director bringing to a close more than 15 years of dedicated involvement in the not-for-profit initiative. David’s journey with the organisation began through his work with Constructionarium and later ConStructEd Scotland, reflecting a long-standing passion for encouraging young people to pursue careers in the construction industry. Over a distinguished career s

Independent coaches and consultants are often highly capable, experienced and committed, yet many quietly struggle to articulate what makes them distinctive, valuable and relevant in a crowded market. Running your own consultancy is an inherently solitary experience. You are inside the business every day – delivering work, solving problems, adapting to client needs – while carrying the strategic thinking alone. Over time, this makes it difficult to see your business clearly

Law firm Harper Macleod has launched its Natural Futures Digital Digest, a three-day online series running from 24–26 February, created to explore the key legal, commercial and community issues shaping Scotland’s transition towards net zero. As Scotland continues its journey to a more sustainable future, sharing practical, sector wide insights has never been more important. The Digital Digest has been developed to bring together focused expertise on the opportunities and chal